hi guys, never used one before, how do i create a route on say bikehike.co.uk save it and get it on the garmin? what type of . file do i save it as and where do i put it on the edge folders?

thanks in advance

I did it yesterday – Export the TCX file (or GPX if you can’t). Then use TCX converter to save it as a course file (also TCX but makes it a Course TCX file) then dump into Garmin/Courses folder on the unit and viola. Go into menu, courses and select the course and press Go – I don’t bother navigating to the start if its close by as it will turn on the navigation which irritates me a little if I am just following a course 🙂

You can also import the course .TCX file into Training Centre and export the courses to the unit and it keeps then all in one place 🙂

ahh cheers foxy! on bikehike i think you can actually save the route as a .tcx file? does that mean if so i can just save that and put it on the course folder?

or if not, how come it needs to be saved or converted to course tcx file?

ahh looks like it does create a tcx course file – so I would click tcx and download to your unit when plugged in and see if it comes up on the list of courses, select it and there is your proof 🙂 If not then download the tcx file and stick it into your garmin/courses folder – if no go you may have to use TCX converter to change it to a course type of tcx file but prob not necessary.

ahh righty, cheers foxy ill give that a shot, roughly how many courses/routes i plot can the unit save?? can i get a good 10 30miler routes on it do you think?

tonnes – not an issue 🙂 FIT files which the 800 uses (history & courses) are tiny but the tcx files are txt files and a way bigger but only about say 50-100Kb – depending on your maps you must have about 500Mb free so thats 500,000 / 100 = 500 🙂 If you convert a history file in training centre to a course file and upload it directly it will be converted to the new FIT file type and you can store 10x more 🙂

foxy – cheers for the info –

right yeah 1 track on worked a treat…however when i just want to view the route and have a look at the track – i click go – and it starts to try and navigate me to the start of the track from my current location? is there a way to turn this off?

also when actually on the route, i dont want it to tell me the next turn etc? guessing i have to turn this option off somewhere?

you your nav is on – you have to stop navigation in where to ?

if i stop navigation in where to while the route is loaded, it stops the route full stop….i just want to be able to view the route and zoom in and check its ok , instead of being guided to the start point? missing something simple im sure here?

When you selected go did you press yes to navigate to the start of the course? If you did select stop nav reload the course and select no at this point. If not then I wonder if the file you have is a route file and not a course which will automatically switch on your nav IIRC. If its the latter then double check and download TCX convertor and load the tcx file and re-save it checking the course file box on saving?

or read this:

Also have you the most recent firmware as there was and issue with course display & Routing?

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?t=16626

Have you also tried:

http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx

It WILL export a real course file if all else fails but I think the first few issues I have above are most likely

hey foxy i think the routes are ok …

they are on the maps etc, and the route looks fine….just dont get why it trys to navigate me to the start point? can i not turn that option off? as when i click no, it just goes to my current location (satellite where i am) and if i planned a route miles away means scouring across the screen for ages to find it?

also when you click on you route in the course bit – it gives a pic of the map, which is what im after, just to check in detail its ok, but you can only zoom in or out on the map, and not move sideways to follow the route around? literally just zoom in or out on the centre of the map?? if i could just move around that view, then thats all im after, but i cant see a way of doing it?

Don’t bother with course files, save as a gpx track (not a gpx route). On the device click the route and select display on map, don’t navigate it. By far the easiest way.

The advantage of course files is they do not have the low limit on waypoints/trackpoints for a long ride unlike a tcx/gpx track MSP IIRC – that’s the only reason 🙂

can i not turn that option off? as when i click no, it just goes to my current location (satellite where i am) and if i planned a route miles away means scouring across the screen for ages to find it?

Instead of pressing GO just click view on map?

You should be able to zoom and then across with you finger after tapping the up/down/left/right scroll button at the top of the map?

gpx tracks don’t have waypoints, that’s the gpx routes, as far as I know there is no limit on trackpoints, I was able to load a gpx track that took me offroad through Germany, from the French to the Czech border in one file without problems.

on that bit foxy – where it says go, i have no option to view on map? it just have zoom in and zoom out buttons? but no movement, as i said it just basically zooms in or out on the centre of the route?

i just used that converter thing and dumped the saved.tck file in the courses folder but it hasnt loaded up on the garmin?

Maybe try above as MSP says and create a track file and load that up if its quicker and easier as I don’t seem to be able to advise you on getting it to work on your unit?

Sorry MSP I was taking about a route file not a track file like you said – maybe I’ll try the track gpx file next and see if thats easier and creating a course file which is easy from a recorded tracklog but not so straight fowrward from a greated route.

hmmm ive used that converter thing – a .gpx and it saved and created a .tcx file on the desktop i put that in the courses folder on the garmin unit, but no route appears on the unit itself??

if i just downloaded them straight onto the unit itself from bikehike as .txc it seems to find them on a the unit, but then i have the problems with guiding thing and not allowing me to view the route seperately?

Some people use basecamp to create the route and upload it as a course? Or as MSP says try creating a track?

Why don’t you join the Garmin forums and ask your question as you will get more people who can advise you about the 800?

ahhh its ok, i think im just over analyzing it to be honest, if i click the navigate thing – and choose no i just get the map, with my current position, but then i zoom across to my route and i can zoom in and out in full with movement…

its just that initial bit when you click the route in courses, it shows you the route, and you can zoom in or out, but no movement, which is pretty stupid if you want to check its ok etc…

so with .tcx files, how does it guide you around? like on the dakota i used before with .gpx each track point flagged up on the screen, and told you where/when the next one is? does the track not have that? just literally a course to follow?

also does it tell you when you join the route? say you click go, does it then realise you are on that route etc?

Don’t bother with course files, save as a gpx track (not a gpx route). On the device click the route and select display on map, don’t navigate it. By far the easiest way.

+1

I’ve never seen a need to use tcx files. I just save to GPX folder, turn off navigate and follow the line.

how do you turn off navigate? do you mean ‘turn guidance’?

guessing you then just follow your line on the route??